But the weather wasn’t even the best part of Sunday’s
travel. The players got to relish the club’s first charter flight since MLS Cup
in November 2009, which allowed the players to enjoy plenty of space, leg room
and what Borchers called the “luxury” of plugging in electronic devices for the
length of the trip.

“Nobody wanted to sleep,” Borchers said. “On a long flight
like that you usually lose your battery power. It was nice.”

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While RSL were coming off a bye weekend in league play, two
off-days, an easy charter flight to Costa Rica and the prospect of playing in
the best weather conditions of the young season, Saprissa were 24 hours removed
from a 0-0 tie in domestic competition against Cartaginés. It was a match
played in front of a small home crowd and one which the local papers called “boring.”

Saprissa’s Mexican manager, Juan Manuel Álvarez, rested veteran playmaker Walter Centeno ahead of Tuesday’s decisive encounter against RSL. However, three players who did see the field for the Costa Rican league
leaders were former RSL midfielder Douglas Sequeira, José Mena and Ricardo
Blanco, who will all miss the Champions League semifinal due to suspension.

Maykol Ortiz, the heir to Centeno who was employed off the bench by Saprissa in the first leg at
Rio Tinto Stadium, also suffered what is being considered a serious hamstring injury during the
scoreless tie. The Purple Monster need all the attacking help they can get as they face a 2-0 aggregate-goal deficit.

Meanwhile, the injury front is mainly clear for RSL. Despite
many falling for Nick Rimando’s April Fool’s prank, the goalkeeper did not have
surgery on the bone spur in his ankle and will bear the pain to start in goal. That
is the extent of the injury worries with Tony Beltran and Robbie Russell
recovering from minor knocks.

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“I think we’re feeling confident,” Borchers said. “Given our
result against LA, that gave us a big boost to win big against them. [Saprissa] are going to come at us early and managing
the game is going to be the biggest factor for us. It’s going to be crucial to
make sure we’re not giving anything up in the first 15 to 20 minutes.”

And so while many debate whether RSL should come out
attacking for the goal that would seal the tie or defend their 2-0
aggregate-goal lead, the players are instead preaching “game management.”

“That’s just so huge at this stage of the game because if we’re
going to give them something, we don’t want it to be early,” Borchers said. “You
have to be switched on early. If they score an early goal, the crowd gets behind
them and next thing you know you’re down two. Soccer is a game where one play can change everything.”